Pathways to effective training outcomes: lessons from northern Australia

In recent years there has been a lot of emphasis on the importance of training outcomes for individuals and industry. These outcomes have been well described in terms of employment, educational, community development and personal development outcomes. There has similarly been a lot of emphasis on training delivery that takes place to produce those outcomes. There has been far less research on the formative processes that take place for participants prior to, and following on from, training delivery. This paper considers these processes in terms of a model that includes needs identification, motivators and enablers as well as the identities that are developed as a result of participation in training. The findings show that while there are clear pathways for training along streams that lead to industry, community and personal development outcomes, there is no clear pathway for training that leads to new enterprise development. The results also suggest that it is quite possible for training participants to switch tracks from a pathway that leads to community or personal development outcomes to one that leads to industry outcomes and vice versa. The paper draws on research conducted by the author towards a PhD. The findings come as a result of over 100 semi-structured interviews with education and training stakeholders (representatives from industry, communities, government agencies and providers) in four separate case study sites in northern Australia. The model presented has implications for providers, government funding bodies and industry advisory bodies. It offers a possible way of eliminating 'training for training’s sake' and of promoting effective outcomes for organisations involved in planning and developing new education and learning initiatives. It raises questions about the need for a more clearly defined pathway for training that leads to enterprise development and suggests alternative measures for determining the success of education and training programs.

Published abstract.

Available papers from the 8th Australian Vocational Education and Training Research Association (AVETRA) Conference, 'Emerging futures: recent, responsive and relevant research', are indexed from TD/TNC 81.564 to TD/TNC 81.610. Show less